Official description

This course will allow for advanced examination of topics related to high-energy particle physics. Course content in any given year may vary. More than one Special Topics in Particle Physics courses may be taken for credit.

Additional information

In 1997, a remarkable new class of equivalences between different-looking physical theories was discovered. These relate quantum gravity systems living in d+1 dimensions known as the bulk to non-gravitational many-body systems living in d dimensions on the boundary. The boundary field theory is colloquially referred to as the hologram theory, by analogy with real-life holograms that encode 3D information in a 2D image. The physics of the extra space dimension of the bulk theory emerges from the boundary theory, bypassing no-go theorems from the 1980s which stated that you could never find emergent gravity from a gauge theory.

The holography toolkit was originally discovered in the context of string theory, which is one approach to quantizing gravity, but has since outgrown it. One of holography’s best features is that it brings together knowledge from a range of adjacent sub-fields of theoretical physics: black holes, quantum gravity, particle physics, quantum information, condensed matter, and cosmology, forming a highly productive nexus for research investigations.

In this course I will give a basic introduction to holography aimed primarily at first-year grad students. I will start by discussing the OG holographic correspondence known as AdS/CFT, and then develop aspects of holography for the asymptotically flat case. If time permits, I will make a few remarks about the asymptotically de Sitter case as well. Undergraduates with the prerequisites are welcome to petition to take this course. Auditors are welcome to attend, subject to classroom capacity.